UW-Eau Claire professor shares the stage with Snoop Dogg

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — From lecture halls to a prime-time performance alongside Snoop Dogg, a local professor can seemingly do it all. 

Alexander Henton, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire associate lecturer of horn, played the French horn during Snoop Dogg’s Christmas Day halftime show during the Minnesota Vikings versus Detroit Lions football game at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Snoop’s Holiday Halftime Party” aired live on Netflix. Lainey Wilson, Andrea and Matteo Bocelli and “KPOP Demon Hunters” performers also joined in on the holiday performance.

According to UW-Eau Claire, 67,000 people were in attendance.

“When you’re in the zone, you don’t really think about how many people are there or anything like that. It’s just making music and having fun,” Henton said.

The 10-minute special featured 160 performers. Henton was part of the STRINGenius orchestra, which included 15 musicians on the stage.

“Alex was my first go-to for one of the horn positions,” Rebecca Arons, contractor and producer at STRINGenius, said.

Henton said this was an opportunity he simply could not pass up, despite his busy schedule. He normally has a performance or rehearsal every week during the school year.

“Usually, you know, it’s at a church. And then finding out that it was for Snoop Dogg and Andrea Bocelli was just like, woah — I have to say yes,” Henton said. “I don’t know if I’ll get this kind of opportunity again.”

“He’s an excellent performer and he is busy because he’s good,” said Nicholas Phillips, chair of the music and theatre arts department at UW-Eau Claire.

Henton said rehearsals lasted four days. Snoop Dogg specifically asked to hear the orchestra play; Henton said they shook hands and the rap icon kept the mood “light.”

The university noted 230 crew members worked on the show, perfecting assembling the stage and sound equipment in just four minutes.

“I just didn’t really think about what the spectacle of these shows are like,” Henton said. “Seeing that many people running around and literally watching the stage be brought in piece by piece by a different crew of people and drilled together. I just had no concept that that’s what went into these shows.”

Henton said he had never even attended an NFL game in-person before Christmas. He said he was able to watch warmups on the field. He spent the first half of the game backstage with his fellow performers, though.

After the performance, the performers toasted in the back room of the stadium, and Snoop Dogg once again expressed appreciation to the artists. They were able to keep their costumes, too.

Henton took home his white tuxedo and has been able to re-watch the performance with loved ones at home. He said he loves how the show blended genres and brought people together.

“That’s the whole point of music in a show. I think it’s just kind of the biggest show I’ve ever done that accomplished that,” Henton said. “It’s really cool to know that I was part of it.”